N.J. university launching new effort to battle ‘misinformation’ in politics
Rutgers University–New Brunswick junior Christopher Godoy, a student assistant at the Eagleton Institute of Politics, speaks at event to launch the Rutgers Democracy Lab. Photo by Jonathan Kolbe / Rutgers University
Newark Star-Ledger / NJ.com
Rutgers University is launching a “Democracy Lab” to promote civil discourse and political participation, school officials announced Friday.
The lab, based at the Eagleton Institute of Politics in New Brunswick, is designed to help students recognize disinformation, engage effectively with people who hold different views, and tackle the challenges facing American democracy.
“We want to encourage democratic participation at every level and provide generations to come with the tools they need to be informed and involved citizens throughout their lives,” Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway said.
The lab will be funded by a donation from philanthropists Robert W. Gottesman and Trudy Elbaum Gottesman. Rutgers did not release the amount of the couple’s donation.
Robert Gottesman is the executive chairman of First Manhattan, a New York-based investment advisory firm founded by his billionaire father, who was a close friend of and early investor with Warren Buffett.
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